Dive Brief:

• With the rising prevalence of connected classrooms with 1:1 device programs and the demands of maintaining WiFi networks,  district IT teams are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to lighten the load, according to EdTech: Focus on K-12.
• The realities of budgets can leave districts shorthanded when it comes to having enough IT staff to cover every issue that arises, but AI-assisted WiFi can lighten the load by automating network management to handle tasks like monitoring connectivity patterns and addressing network issues.
• Doing so not only saves time that IT teams can then use for more important tasks, but the simplification the technology provides can also save districts money.

Dive Insight:

The increasingly connected nature of schools demands ever-greater attention from district and school IT professionals to keep everything running smoothly. But, as noted, budgets don't always make it easy to keep ahead of every potential issue. AI and machine learning, however, are advancing to the point where they can be used to help keep the bases covered on a number of critical fronts — including cybersecurity.

Oracle showcased one such AI service in the wake of last year's Equifax breach, and with education among the top targets for hackers, that additional cybersecurity boost can be invaluable. It won't lessen the need to address the No. 1 threat to network security — end users like students, faculty and staff — but it can add an extra layer of protection that can quickly identify and stop a potential threat. To further strengthen that wall, district IT staff might also do well to follow University of Dayton CIO Thomas Skill's example with phishing tests and the sending of updates, warnings and relevant cybersecurity news.